About King David
Probably one of the best known men in all the Old
Testament (OT) is David. God said of David I have
found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine
own heart, which shall fulfil all my will (Acts
13:22: 1 Samuel 13:14, 16:7). What a compliment to
receive of God. With no one else but David does God
use that description. However, David was not a perfect
man. David did sin and was punished
by God. In this lesson we will review some of the sins
that David committed and why
God still found David a man after His own heart.
Probably the most well known thing that David is
known for is his adultery with Bathsheba and the
subsequent killing of her husband Uriah. One day,
while David was king, he happened to be on the roof of
his house. Looking out across the surrounding area, he
saw Bathsheba bathing herself. David sent for her to
be brought to him and then he lay with her. He knew
she was married. After a time, Bathsheba
learned she was pregnant and told David. Because his
sin would then be found out, David made sure that
Uriah would be sent to the front of an ongoing battle
that he might be killed (2 Sam. 11:2-18). Being king,
it would have been easy to conceal his sin and
initially, that is what David tried to do. But God
sent a prophet to David that he might realize what he
had done (2 Sam. 12:1-7). Did David try to deny what
he had done? Did he pretend that nothing happened? The
man after Gods own heart admitted he had sinned (2
Sam. 12:13).
Later in his reign, King David decided to have the
children of Israel numbered, that he might know how
many people were in the kingdom (2 Sam. 24:1-9).
Realizing that he had acted without Gods permission
(verse 10), David again admitted he had sinned. What
would we think if President Bush admitted he had
sinned? Well that is like David
doing it. Given a choice of punishments, David to
leave himself, and the children of Israel in the hands
of God (verses 13-16). David saw that God had intended
to further punish the Israelites and pleaded with Him
to direct His anger at him and not the rest
of the people (verses 16-17). By the hand of another
prophet, God told David to build an altar and offer up
sacrifices for the sins of the people. Bearing the
expense himself, David bought the land and did as God
had directed (verses 18-22). David bore the burden
of Gods anger against the people.
David is also well known for slaying the giant
Goliath. Goliath was a man of the Philistines who
stood close to nine feet tall. David, being a youth,
was no match physically for the man Goliath, or so
everyone thought. When David heard the way Goliath
spoke to the Israelites, he had this to say:  for who
is this uncircumcised Philistine,
that he should defy the armies of the living God? (1
Sam. 17:26) Even as a young man, David knew the
strength that our God provided. Also, in 1 Samuel 24,
we read how David refrained from killing Saul (the
first King of the Israelites) because as he said of
Saul he is the anointed of the LORD (I Sam. 24:6).
Time and time again we read how David gave his heart
wholly to the Lord. Never are we led to believe that
David lived without sin but was a man who greatly
desired to do the will of God. In the Psalms, David
wrote over and over about his love for God and the
greatness of the Lord. Wouldnt it be great to face
God on judgment day and hear Him
say of us, You are a person after my own heart? When
you sin, own up to it and correct it. Think of ways
you can glorify God everyday. Know that in times of
trouble, God gives us strength to face even
giant problems.
In Christ, Steve Preston
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